Our Coromandel magazine a finalist in LGNZ EXCELLENCE Awards

A high-end glossy magazine produced by Thames-Coromandel District Council each summer to engage with absentee ratepayers is a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

Now in their fourth year, the Awards recognise and celebrate the key leadership role that local government plays in communities around the country.

Our Coromandel Summer Magazine is a finalist in the Fulton Hogan EXCELLENCE Award for Community Engagement.

It targets the nearly 60 percent of Thames-Coromandel ratepayers whose permanent residence is outside the district, after customer surveys and anecdotal reports indicated inserts included with rates bills were often discarded without being read.

The magazine provides information not only about activities in the Coromandel but also Council news, articles about elected members and staff, and updates on Council projects and public consultations.

It is designed to encourage ratepayers with permanent homes outside the area to visit the Coromandel more often and stay longer.

Judges praised the use of a print magazine as a way of keeping in touch with the district’s many non-resident ratepayers.

“The council has segmented their audience and provided something that fits with that demographic and that can be used again and again. While the magazine has a strong online presence, the printed version is just as popular and proves it doesn’t all need to be digital.”

LGNZ President Lawrence Yule said the finalists in the EXCELLENCE Awards showcased outstanding leadership being provided by local government throughout the country.

“Local government is at the centre of every community in New Zealand, helping shape the environment in which we work and play,” Mr Yule says.

“Being named as a finalist is a great achievement and reflects the vision shown by councils and the innovative work being done by staff. The finalists include some truly exceptional projects that are having a profound impact on communities.”

Local authorities were invited to submit award applications in five categories:

Fulton Hogan EXCELLENCE Award for Community Engagement

Creative New Zealand EXCELLENCE Award for Best Creative Place

Air New Zealand EXCELLENCE Award for Environmental Impact

Chorus EXCELLENCE Award for Best Practice in Infrastructure

Crown Fibre Holdings EXCELLENCE Award for Best Practice Contribution to Local Economic Development